Sterilizing apparatus



Dec. 18, 1923, 1,478,223

0. H. HANSEN STERILI Z ING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 4', 1922 Fatented Dec. 118, 31223.,

. entree stares PATENT CEFFIKCEO OSWAIJD H. HANSEN, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TOHANS]EN' CANNIN'G MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PORT WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN, A COR- PORA'IION O15 WISCONSIN.

STERILIZING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 4, 1922. Serial No. 604,643.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that OsWALD H. HANSEN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Port Washington, in the county of Ozaukee and State of Wisconsin, has invented a certain new and useful Sterilizing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates in general to improvements in the art of preserving food products, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction of apparatus for cooking, sterilizing and otherwise treat-' ing foods which have been packed in containers such as tin cans.

An object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for treating food products. Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for preserving food stuffs which have been packed in containers. A further object of the invention is to provide an automatically operable sterilizer which is absolutely reliable in operation and which is operable at minimum cost. Still another object of the invention is to provide compact cooking and sterilizing mechanism having enormous capacity. A further object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for treating food product which has been packed in metallic containers, without danger of injuring the containers. Another object of the invention is to provide improved operating and controlling mechanism for sterilizing apparatus. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the course of the following description.

Some of the novel features of sterilizer construction and operation disclosed but not claimed herein, form the subject matter of copending application Serial Number 446,- 339, filed February 19, 1921. I

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention and of the operation of mechanism constructed in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views.

Fi 1 is a central vertical section through one form of the improved sterilizing apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section through the improved sterilizing apparatus,

the section being taken transversely through the sterilizing compartments.

The improved automatic cooking and sterilizing unit comprises generally a stationary main frame 2, a series of two or more vertically elongated stationary compartments providing treating chambers 3, .4 which are fixedly supported by the frame 2, a revoluble can supply chute 26 for conductin food laden cans 12 from the supply condult 37 to the upper; ends of the successive chambers 3, 4, a can discharge chute 27 associated with each of the chambers 3, 4 for conducting the treated cans 12 away from. the lower extremities of the treating chambers, a drip catch 32 located below each of the treating chambers 3, 4 adjacent to the can discharge chutes 27, and power means for intermittently moving the can supply chute 26 and the compartment cover actuating cams to difi'erent positions about the central vertical axis of the machine.

A rotary vertical tubular member 7 is rotatably supported in stationary bearings secured to the main frame 2 and to the chambers3, 4, the revolving can supply chute 26 being adjustably secured to the upper extremity of the member 7. Vertically spaced revoluble continuous upper guide rails 8 are rigidly attached to the upper extremity of the rotary'tubular member 7 and are revoluble by the member 7 above the chambers 3, 4. The guide rails 8 have upwardly distorted portions 10 located directly ad acent to the can supply chute 26 as shown in Flg. 1. Vertically spaced revoluble continuous lower guide rails 9 are rigidl attached to a lower hub 5 which is adjusta ly attached to the lower portion of the member 7, the guide rails 9 being revoluble by the member 7 below the chambers 3, 4. The guide rails 9 have downwardly distorted portions 11 located on the opposite side of the member 7 from the portions 10 of the upper guide rails 8. Each of the treating compaitments or chambers 3, 4 is of sufiicient size to confine a plurality of horizontally disposed food laden cans 12 while disposed one above the other, and is provided with a horizontally hinged upper cover 15 having an actuating roller 28 which coacts with the upper rails 8. The covers 15 may also be provided with rent cocks 34 for permitting escape of gases from within the chambers 3, 4. Each of the treating compartments or chambers 3, 4 is also provided with a horizontally hinged lower cover 16 having an actuating roller 29 cooperable with the lower rails 9. The lower covers 16 may also be provided with side plates 33 which serve to properly direct,

- Which the lower can in the supply chute 26 may be slid from a filled treating compartment to an empty one. The lowermost radial struts connecting the chambers 3, 4

' are provided with steam supply conduits 30 which are automatically and periodically connected with the main steam. inlet 1.3 through one or more transverse openings extending laterally through the tubular member 7 directly below the horizontal partition in the tubular member shown in Fig. 1. Such automatic and periodic con nection of the chambers 3, 4 with the steam inlet 13 is effected during rotation of the member 7. The radial struts located directly above the steam supply struts, are provided with Water supply conduits 31' which are also automatically and periodically connectiblc with the water inlet 14 through transverse openings in the tubular member 7 located directly above the horizontal partition therein. Such automatic and periodic connection with the water inlet 14 is likewise effected during rotation of the member 7. The bearing for the member 7 adjacent to the steam and water supply conduits, may be provided with stuffing #boxes 35 for preventing escape of fluid along the exterior surface of the tubular memher 7. i

The mechanism for intermittently moving the member 7 rails 8, 9, and the can supply chute 26, includes a main horizontal power shaft 21 rotatably supported in bearings associated with the frame 2, a worm gear 22 attached to the shaft 21, a vertical stub shaft 19 rigidly attached to the frame 2, a worm wheel 20 rotatable about the shaft 19 and co-acting with the worm 22, and Geneva gearing drivingl connecting the worm wheel 20 with the i ower hub 5. A driving belt 25 is engageable with either an idleror a driving pulley 23, 24 respectively in order to control the operation of the machine. The Geneva gearing comprises a driving member 18 rigidly attached to the worm wheel 20 and having a driving roller 36 revoluble about the axis of the shaft 19, and, a radially slotted driven member 17 engageable with the member 18 and the roller 36, the member 17 being rigidly attached to the sleeve 5. The Geneva gearing is adapted to transmit intermittent rotary motion to the vertical member 7 and the associated elements, from the continuously rotating horizontal power shaft 21.

During normal operation of the sterilizer, the driving belt 25 is shifted into coaction with the driving pulley 24 and imparts rotary motion to the horizontal shaft 21 and to the worm 22. The rotating worm 22-produces relatively slow rotation of the worm wheel 20 .and the gear member 18 about the axis of the stub shaft 19. As the gear member 18 revolves the roller 36, the gear member 17 is intermittently rotated and produces intermittent rotation of the member 7, rails 8, 9, and can supply chute 26 through definite arcs. As the revolving can supply chute 26 approaches either of the treating chambers 3, 4, the rollers '28 .26 and rails 8 are advanced to a position wherein the cover 15 is automatically sealed and steam is automatically admitted from the main steam inlet 13 through the passages 30 to the interior of the stationary can laden treating chamber. When steam is thus admitted to a treating chamber, the vent cook 34 may be momentarily opened in order to permit complete filling of the compartment with steam, the temperature, pressure and rate of fiow of the steam admitted being controlled by means of a suitable regulator associated with the inlet 13. The subsequent rotation of the central tubular member 7 automatically produces admission of a cooling agent such as water from the main cooling fluid inlet 14 through the passages 31 to the interior of the can laden treating chamber.. The temperature and the rate of flow of the cooling fluid may be controlled by means of a suitable regulator associated -with the inlet 14. After the cans 12 have been confined and treated in a chamber 3, 4, the member 7 and the guide rails 9, carried thereby, are advanced to the position indicated at the bottom of Fig. 1, whereupon the rail portions 11 become effective to open the lower cover 16 of the treating chamber. As the naraaae bottom cover 16 begins to open, the water from the treating chamber is delivered into the drip catch 32 from which the water is discharged from the apparatus. The treated cans 12 are subsequently automatically delivered by gravity to the adjacent discharge chute 27 after the lower cover 16 has been fully opened. In this manner the successive treating chambers 3, 4 are automatically filled with fresh cans 12, the cans 12 are automatically sterilized in the chambers, and the treated cans 12 are automatically delivered Without altering the positions of the several treating chambers 3, 4:.

It will thus be notedv that the successive food laden cans 12 passing through the revolving supply chute 26 are automatically sterilized, cooled and delivered from the machine Without necessitating any manual handling of the cans. The rate of treatment may be regulated to conform with the rate of delivery of the successive cans '12 from a closing machine, either by varying the speed of the drive shaft 21, by increasing or decreasing the number of stationary treating chambers 3, 4:, or by providing several sterilizers for each filling machine. The necessity of manually transporting the food laden cams .12 from the closing machine to the sterilizer and from the sterilizer to cooling baths, is entirely eliminated. The control of the vent cocks 34. may be made. automatic thus permitting one operator to conveniently control both the closing machine and the sterilizer and reducing the cost of operationto a minimum. The degree of sterilization may be readily varied to suit the characteristics of the particular food product being treated thereby producing most efiicient treatment of the product. The unit is exceedingly compact and requires minimum floor space thereby permitting location of the sterilizer relat1vely close to the packing apparatus.

In case one of the chambers should become inoperative, the same may be readily cut out and the remaining chambers are still available for operation. The chambers 3, 4 may be constructed to closely confine the cans 12 thereby reducing to a minimum the quantity of treating agencies necessary for efiicient operation of the machine. The heating and cooling operations may be readily controlled in order to avoid injury to the cans and consequent waste of product.

It will be obvious that the apparatus has been illustrated in diagrammatic form in order to permit clear disclosure of the present invention. The Geneva gearing may be replaced by any other mechanism capable of transportinrr the chute 26, rails 8, 9 and member 7 t rough the desired cycle of operations, and the slzes and number of treating chambers 3, 4: may be increased or diminished as desired. llt should be generally understood that it is not desired to limit theinvention' to the exact details of construction and of operation of the apparatus herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination, means forming a stationary chamber, means for automatically stationarily confining a plurality'of food laden containers within said chamber, means for simultaneously heating all of said confined containers, means for subsequently cooling all of said confined containers, and means for effecting automatic release of said containers from said stationary chamber.

2. In combination, means forming a stationary chamber, means for efiecting automatic delivery of a plurality of food laden containers to said chamber while stationary, means for automatically sealing said stationary chamber to confine said containers therein, means for simultaneously heating all of said confined containers, means for subsequently cooling all of said confined containers, and means for subsequently automaticall unsealing said stationary chamber to permit discharge of said container.

3. In combination, means forming a stationary chamber, means for automatically stationarily confining a plurality of food laden containers within said chamber, means for succesively heating and cooling all of said confined containers, and means for effecting automatic release of said containers from sa1d stationary chamber. I

4:. In combination, means forming a stationary chamber, movable means for automatically stationarily confining a plurality of food laden containers within said sta tionary chamber, means for simultaneously heating all of said confined containers, means for subsequently cooling all of said confined containers,,and movable means for effecting automatic release of said containers from said chamber. 1

5. In combination, means forming a plurality of stationary chambers, means for confining a plurality of food laden containers Within successive of said chambers, means for simultaneously heating all of the containers confined Within one of said chambers, means for subsequently simultaneously cooling all of the contalners confined within said chamber, and means for subsequently efi'ecting automatic release of said containers from the successive stationary chambers.

16. In combination, means formin a series of stationary chambers spaced a' out an axis, means for confining a plurality of food laden containers within the successive chambers of said series, means for successively heating all of the containers confined Within the successive chambers, means for subsequently cooling all of the containers confined Within the successive chambers, and means for subsequently eflecting automatic release of said containers from successive chambers of said series.

7.. In combination, means formin a series of stationary chambers spaced a out an axis, means movable about said axis for confining a plurality of food laden containers Within successive chambers'of said series, means for heat treating the containers confined Within the successive chambers, and means movable about said axis for subsequently effecting automatic release of said containers from the successive stationary chambers.

8. In combination, means forming a series of stationary chambers disposed about a central axis, movable means for supplying food laden containers to the successive chambers .of said series, means movable about said axis for confining said containers Within the 'sucessive chambers, means for heat treating the containers confined 1n the successive chambers, and means movable about said axis for subsequently effecting automatic release of said containers from the successive stationary chambers.

9. In combination, means forming a series of stationary chambers symmetrically acrea e disposed about a central axis, means movable about said axis for supplying food laden containers to the successive chambers of said series, means movable about said axis for confining said containers Within the successive chambers, means movable about said axis for supplying heating agent to the successive stationary chambers, and means movable about said axis for subsequently effecting automatic release of said containers I from the successive stationary chambers.

10. In combination, means forming a series of stationary chambers symmetrically disposed about a central axis, means movable about said axis for automatically supplying food laden containers to the successive chambers of said series, means movthe inventor is aflixed hereto.

OSWALD H. HANSEN.

testimony whereof, the signature of- 

